TWENTY-NINE
Gentle kisses wake me from some good sleep. My eyes flutter open, and my heart blooms when I see Kross smiling at me, his handsome face alight in the sunrays pouring into the large room.
“This is a great morning,” he says. “Waking up with you in my arms is the best feeling.”
“Hmm. It does feel good.”
He presses a tender kiss on my lips and strokes my cheek. “You can’t stay with him, Davi. Last night proves this is where you want to be.”
“Can we just… chill for a little and not talk about it?”
“All right,” he accepts. “You want breakfast?”
“You have oats, so I’ll make porridge.”
“Okay. Go ahead and use the bathroom first. I’ll take out another shirt for you.” He moves his arm and rolls away like he’s adjusting under the covers. He probably has morning wood. It’s not that I don’t want him inside me. I need to be sure before taking it there.
After showering and brushing my teeth, I slip into his t-shirt and shorts and walk to the kitchen, boiling oats porridge while Kross washes up. He emerges in shorts and a t-shirt as I pour the creamy porridge into bowls, adding blueberries and raspberries.
“Thank you.” He kisses my cheek before sitting at the island to eat. “So last night was… interesting.”
I brush over my curls, keeping my eyes on my bowl. “Yeah, it was. Disappointed we didn’t do more?”
He utters a low sound. “I want to do whatever you decide. You have the lead, Davi.”
“Hm.”
We finish eating, and he carries the bowls to the sink.
“I’ll put my clothes on,” I say when he turns.
Kross stops me before I walk away, pulling me into his arms. “The weekend isn’t over yet.” He crashes his mouth on mine for a fervent kiss, squeezing me against him.
We stagger our way to the bedroom, and I lie with him on top of me.
“This is okay,” he rasps at my lips. “Lying here with you, kissing and talking, is okay. Whatever makes you comfortable.”
“Thank you,” I exhale, caressing his back.
We start kissing again, unable to get enough. By the time it slows, my lips feel raw, and between my thighs feel wet, especially since I’m not wearing panties.
Kross shifts onto his side, and we face each other on the pillow. “Tell me more about your interests.”
We talk until I fall asleep in the comfy bed, waking up to more feather-like kisses by noon.
“Sleeping beauty,” he teases. “Let’s have lunch.”
Ordering in, we eat on the balcony while enjoying some sun. Not once does boredom creep in, or we run out of topics to discuss. We play games, watch Netflix on the sofa, talk, and make out.
It feels incredible with him. To make a final decision, I need to know some things. “What matters to you? Like, what do you want in a relationship?”
He gently strokes my cheek. “Trust. Knowing that no matter what, you’ll be real with me, and I’ll be real with you. We’ll have each other’s back. What do you want, Davi?”
Resting my chin on his chest, I stare into his eyes and say, “To feel safe. That goes hand-in-hand with trust. I had that with Jamir early on. But it changed.”
“He fucked up. I won’t.” He leans in for a soft kiss, and I relax my head again.
“Your people eat dinner before sunset?” he asks.
“Mmhm. Around four.”
“I’ll be at Mama G’s by then, too. Call me when you’re home. I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay.”
In another few minutes, we ease apart, and I head home to shower before driving to my grandparents.
“Hey, sweetie,” Grandma welcomes me with a tight hug.
“Hi, Gran.” I kiss her cheek and hug Grandpa. “How was your trip?”
“Relaxing,” he beams. “Didn’t want it to end.”
“Well, while we’re happy you enjoyed yourselves,” Aunt Zandie interjects, “we’re glad you’re back.”
“Mmhm.”
My grandparents share more about the islands as we snack on appetizers. When the conversations shift, Trishell nudges me aside.
“So what happened yesterday?” she questions. “I know you saw that man.”
“Trish.” I zip around to make sure no one heard her. But everyone’s caught up in chit-chat in the kitchen. “Just know that I took your advice.”
“And?” she presses quietly.
My skin warms with my smile. “I think—”
“Aunt Tanya’s pregnant!” Shanae blurts as she enters the house.
“What?” everyone shouts, except me.
I look at Trishell. She shakes her head, confirming she didn’t say a word.
“How do you know?” I ask my nosy cousin.
She glares at me. “Well, she went to the clinic for a checkup, and the nurse in the room knew she was my aunt and told me about it.”
“That’s a violation of a patient’s privacy,” Trishell chastises her.
Shanae shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“Pregnant?” Grandma murmurs, lowering onto the chair at the table. “Jesus.” Grandpa pats her shoulder.
“And who is the father?” Aunt Zandie questions.
Everyone looks at me for the answer. “No idea.”
“So it’s another mystery,” Shanae mocks.
Colin bumps her arm. “Leave it alone, sis. It’s not your business. You’ve done enough.”
She snorts. “Bet Daddy will flip when he hears.”
“Child, stop spreading gossip about your family,” Grandpa scolds her. “Good grief. Tanya will talk to us when she’s ready.”
Uncle Quest enters, wrinkling his brows as he looks around at our faces. “What did I miss?”
“Your baby sister is pregnant,” Aunt Zandie informs him and glares at Shanae. “Your big-mouth daughter just told us.”
“What?” Uncle Quest huffs, eyes enlarged. “Who’s—”
“No one knows,” Grandpa grates. “Let’s have dinner.”
My phone vibrates in my clutch as we sit at the table. Taking a peek at the screen, I tuck it away again when I see it’s Jamir calling. A tsunami of the truth barrels in, confirming what my heart’s been screaming for months, not weeks: it’s time to let him go. I’m just scared to break his heart.